FORT WORTH - The Tarrant Regional Water District board has approved a $92.9 million construction contract for a $2.3 billion pipeline designed to bring more water to the area from East Texas. The awarding of the contract signals that project will soon be laying pipe for the huge project.

Garney Construction will build a 15-mile segment of the pipeline in Navarro County that will eventually be part of a 149-mile pipeline.

The final product will bring more water to Tarrant County from Cedar Creek and Richland-Chambers reservoirs while also moving water to Dallas from Lake Palestine.

The first portion of the project is to be completed by 2018. But it is being built in stages to make it more affordable. If there is a need for more East Texas water sooner, some of the later phases may be built faster.

Once it is completed, the pipeline will allow the water district to pump an additional 197 million gallons per day from the two reservoirs, near Corsicana, to Benbrook Lake. When the entire project is completed, Dallas will be able to pump up to 150 million gallons per day from Lake Palestine to Joe Pool Lake.

It should provide enough water for the water district until 2030 and perhaps until 2040, depending on population growth and water conservation efforts.